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Tim BontempsESPN
TORONTO — Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Darius Garland suffered a left eye laceration in the second quarter and did not return to Wednesday night’s season-opening 108-105 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.
“He’s got a laceration on the inside of his eyelid,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game. “Obviously it’s an uncomfortable spot with all the things he has to do.
“His head was clear, and all those things, but he was cut and bleeding pretty bad from the inside of his eyelid.”
Gary Trent Jr. and fell to the ground in front of Toronto’s bench. He then stayed on the court for several minutes, before eventually being helped to his feet and then slowly walking back to Cleveland’s locker room under his own power.
When the third quarter began, Garland wasn’t on the court. Forward Cedi Osman replaced him in Cleveland’s starting lineup, and the Cavaliers ruled Garland out a few moments later.
Garland had four points and three assists in 13 minutes in the first half before the injury. It was his first game playing alongside All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who was acquired by Cleveland in the offseason.
“It’s tough to see him go down like that on a freak accident,” said Mitchell, who had 31 points and nine assists in his Cavaliers debut. “That’s tough, man. I don’t know the full extent, but he’s a fighter, he’s a competitor, he’s going to be back strong.”
Earlier this summer, Garland agreed to a five-year max contract extension with the Cavaliers after a breakout 2021-22 campaign in which he led the Cavs to a winning record for the first time since LeBron James left in free agency in 2018. Garland, the fifth pick in the 2019 NBA draft, made the All-Star team for the first time.